later, brooks helped author the 1964 civil rights act, and he drafted the articles of impeachment against president nixon. jack brooks was 89 years old. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to gwen. >> ifill: lawmakers stepped up the rhetoric, but grew no closer today to agreement on how to avoid slipping over the so- called fiscal cliff. but each side demanded the other compromise. "newshour" congressional correspondent kwame holman begins our coverage. >> i have to just tell you that is a... that is a bad strategy for america, it's a bad strategy for your businesses, and it is not a game that i will play. >> reporter: president obama today, in washington, assured business executives he'll reject attempts to link the fiscal cliff budget negotiations to future increases in the nation's debt ceiling. "the new york times" reported republicans might accept higher tax rates on wealthier americans to avoid triggering tax hikes for everyone. in return, they'd demand greater spending cuts next year before raising the federal borrowing limit. >> if congress in any way suggests tha